chris colfer the land of stories beyond the kingdoms

The witches looked around the tavern and nodded to one another. I assume we've all come tonight to discuss the same matter, so let's not waste any time.' 'I am Gargoylia, the Stone Mistress of the Dwarf Forests. 'Welcome, sisters,' the stone witch said in a gruff voice. She threw a handful of rocks inside and the liquid glowed, illuminating the room in a menacing green light: The meeting had begun. They had hooves and horns, tails and feathers some even had snouts and beaks.Ī short and stout witch with skin made of stone approached the cauldron. Others had been transformed past the point of appearing human and resembled other species. Some witches had warts, enlarged noses, decaying flesh, or eyeballs that hung out of their sockets. A hundred or so witches were seated around an enormous cauldron in the center of the tavern, while the latecomers stood in the back.ĭark magic was known for leaving a mark on those who partook of it, and each woman's appearance had been affected differently. Some even slithered through the water like serpents.Īt half past midnight, the tavern was fuller than it had ever been. A few sailed down the creek by boat or on makeshift rafts. Flocks of witches flew toward the tavern's smoky signal on broomsticks. Some witches traveled to the creek on foot or by mule. However, due to a recent crisis that had taken the kingdoms by storm, tonight's attendance was expected to be much higher than usual. The gatherings were usually uneventful and low in attendance. Smoke rose from the tavern's single chimney, filling the air with a foul odor and signaling to the witches traveling to the creek that the meeting was about to begin. The midnight gatherings were held at the Witches' Brew, an old tavern made entirely of twigs and mulch that sat in the middle of the creek like a giant beaver dam. When corpses were found, the witches picked them apart like vultures, taking home what they needed in jars to stock their potion supplies. The dead bodies in the coffins were never identified, nor was who or what had sent them-not that any time was given for an investigation. And every time the rerouting occurred, coffins floated in from an unknown location. Every so often, without any warning or explanation, the creek redirected itself to flow uphill into the forest. The meetings were strictly for witches only, and they enjoyed making gruesome examples out of those who disturbed them.ĭead Man's Creek was shrouded in mystery, making it an ideal place for the witches to assemble. At midnight of every full moon, witches from the forests and neighboring kingdoms gathered at the creek.

T he creatures of the Dwarf Forests knew to avoid Dead Man's Creek tonight if they valued their lives.

Chris colfer the land of stories beyond the kingdoms